Old Jerusalem is divided into four quarters: Jewish, Arab, Christian & Armenian. It is such a stark contrast to the young and liberal Tel Aviv. Due to it’s history and ties to the Bible Jerusalem is a place that everyone wants a piece of and you can feel the tension in the air while wandering the cobbled streets of the Old City. Our first stop was at the Western Wall (segregated by men & women) where one can place their hands on the wall and say a prayer. Villa Maria, the route Jesus walked bearing the cross, as well as…

You must go to the Dead Sea if you are visiting Israel. Though most of the locals (i.e. David and his family) told me it was boring and not worth it, I disagree and think anyone visiting the country would enjoy the beautiful drive. It is the lowest point on earth and the water is so salty that you cannot help but float. As you walk out into the water from the beach you will find yourself levitating up and the only comfortable position is to lie on your back, otherwise your legs lift up and you end up face…

Before meeting David Israel was never on my radar in terms of a place to visit. I knew little of this beautiful country. After having spent 2.5 weeks in my boyfriend’s homeland I am so glad I had the opportunity to visit! Below I will include my favourite spots, recommendations and details about my trip. The trip began with my longest flight ever (30 min longer than my flight to Istanbul). David and I were lucky as we got a row to ourselves on Air Canada’s Dreamliner and I got to lie down to sleep! Unfortunately, upon our arrival in…

My last day I spent by myself at my cousins rooftop pool. I purchased this journal in the Mall of the Emirates from the Japanese store, Muji (which I’m excited to hear is coming to Toronto). I’m a hoarder of stationery in general, so of course I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to personalize my own journal. The journal comes completely blank, no cover and un-ruled pages. After you purchase it, there is a stamping table at Muji where you can design whatever cover you can imagine (with the stamps provided). There are other things available as well, such as canvas bags and greeting cards which…

My cousin and I hadn’t planned anything specific for my second last day in the UAE. I knew I had wanted to see a bit more of the geography, including their tallest mountain, Jebel Hafeet (jebel is the arabic word for mountain). My cousin’s boyfriend had a travel book listing a few excursion sort day trips in the area. We went first to Al Ain, a city within Abu Dhabi to this archaeological garden. I love seeing pieces of history and archaeology. I often fantasize about life in other times and places. Having the opportunity to see remnants of those…